2020 Youth Voter Engagement Activities

Roadmap to November for Mayors and Youth Leaders

National Youth Voter Engagement: Road to November

Purpose:

1. Provide a framework to help mayors and youth work together to create safe, efficient, and successful voter engagement efforts in their cities.

2. Maximize voter registration and voter turnout in cities across the nation.

Local Strategy ChecklistThe Mayors’ Youth Involvement Task Force has developed a national framework and checklist for mayors to follow as they launch local voter engagement activities, which include:

1. Delegate staff to serve as a point of contact for voter engagement activities.2. Delegate youth leaders to coordinate with your designated staff.3. Coordinate with county and state election agencies and directors.4. Promote vote by mail/absentee, and clearly communicate all voting processes.5. Help plan safe in-person voting options on election day.6. Identify local/national organizations, public figures, and existing resources.7. Schedule local voter engagement events and activities NOW.8. Launch a voter engagement resources page on your city’s website.9. Launch a continuous social media campaign with weekly voter engagement posts. 10. Participate in U.S. Conference of Mayors webinars to provide updates and share best

practices.

1. Delegate Staff Leads for Voter Engagement Activities

• While it is important for mayors to play an active role in launching voter engagement activities, we advise that the mayor delegate 1 or more staff members to take the lead in your office and serve as a point of contact for voter engagement activities.

• Staff should coordinate directly with youth leaders in your community, state and county election officials, as well as local/national organizations participating in your efforts. Staff should take the lead on helping your county election office identify space for polling stations and helping to recruit poll station volunteers.

2. Delegate Youth Leaders for Important Roles

• It is critical that your office identify and delegate youth leaders in your community to collaborate with designated staff and the mayor to develop your voter engagement efforts.

• Leverage your city’s youth council, youth commission, or youth advisory board (if established) in order to help launch and lead activities. If none exist in your city, identify additional active youth leaders or youth organizations to serve in this capacity.

• Identify critical roles and responsibilities for youth to take on. Youth should also play a role in engaging with other youth in the community, obtaining youth feedback, recruiting and potentially volunteering as poll workers, and launching social media activities related to voter engagement.

3. Coordinate with State and County Election Officials

• As your city develops its voter engagement activities, it is critical that your city coordinate with your state and county election officials to ensure that your voting activities are executed seamlessly and safely. Ensure that your delegated staff maintain direct points of contact in all pertinent agencies.

Directory: County Election Offices (Click here to access)Directory: State Election Offices (Click here to access)

Directory: State Election Directors (Click here to access)

• Mayors are encouraged to reach out to county election officials and help them identify space to set up polling places and recruit volunteers to help work them. It is critical that you prioritize making polling places available in underserved and underrepresented communities. Don’t wait for county officials to contact you. Identifying polling locations and volunteers will be a challenge, so beginning theses processes now is critical.

4. Promote Vote by Mail/Absentee, Clearly Communicate All Voting Options

• The Conference of Mayors encourages mayors to promote vote by mail/absentee as the safest option for voting in the 2020 election. However, voting options and processes vary by state, and it’s important for mayors to understand the options available to their residents. Some states allow ALL residents to vote by mail/absentee for any reason, while others do not. Some states will also allow residents to vote early, while other states will not. Click here to find your state election office and learn about your state’s voting options and processes.

• Become fluent NOW in your state’s rules for registering, voting by mail/absentee, and voting early, and communicate these processes to your residents. Consider hosting regular virtual town-halls to obtain public feedback and address public concerns. Make sure that in-person voters know where their polling places are, and help them develop a plan for voting.

5. Help Plan Safe In-person Voting Options on Election Day

• While many voters will be able to vote by mail/absentee, many voters will also be voting in-person. Coordinate with county and state election officials now to ensure that your city has a plan for making sure that residents can can vote safely and efficiently.

• County and state election officials will need help identifying public space for polling places. They will also need help recruiting poll workers. Reach out to them now to find out how to help. Prioritize making polling places available in underserved and underrepresented communities.

• Mayors can also help secure hand washing and sanitizing stations, masks and PPE for poll workers, and help develop systems for voters to social distance in line, without causing bottlenecks that cause voters to wait in line for long hours. You should communicate these safety measures to your residents so that they understand and trust the voting process.

• Polling stations can also be targets for voting disruption. Coordinate with your county and state election officials to ensure that you have an emergency plan in place to ensure voter safety and uninterrupted access to polling places.

6. Identify Local/National Organizations, Public Figures, and Existing Resources

• There are most likely organizations in your community that are already working on voter engagement activities and events. Identify them, and collaborate with them on your voter engagement efforts.

• Ask local celebrities and public figures to participate in voter engagement activities to make them fun and uplifting. Collaborate with national organizations like the National Voter Registration Day and Vote Early Day to help voters in your community register to vote and vote early (where able).

• Click here for additional materials on the U.S. Conference of Mayors voter engagement resources page to help you conceptualize your efforts.

7. Schedule Voter Engagement Events and Activities Now

• Work with your youth leaders and partner organizations to begin planning webinars, online youth summits, social media pushes, and other voter engagement events NOW. Set specific dates set for these events as soon as you can.

• Plan local activities for National Voter Registration Day on September 22 and Vote Early Day on October 24 to help voters in your community register to vote and vote early (where eligible).

8. Launch a Voter Engagement Resources Page on Your City’s Website

• It is important that all voters have access to practical voter information. Consider creating a resources page on your city’s website that includes links to: your state and county election websites, important dates and voter registration deadlines, the location of polling places, information on voting by mail/absentee, a sign-up process recruiting poll workers, a calendar of voter engagement events/activities, as well as materials to help voters develop a plan for voting by mail/absentee or in person.

• When it comes to sharing official information from your county or state, it is advised that your resources page share direct links to proper websites and channels rather than attempt to curate new information. This will ensure accuracy, and also conserve staff time.

• Be sure to continually share your resources page on the city’s social media accounts, andmake the page easily visible and accessible.

9. Launch an Ongoing Social Media Campaign With Weekly Posts

• Continually posting practical information on voting, and promoting your voter engagement activities is an impactful way to engage your residents around voting. Work with your youth leaders to post weekly about important voting information and voter engagement activities. This can be a role and responsibility where youth leaders can be highly engaged.

• Be sure to “Tag” collaborating organizations and leaders in your posts, and ask them to share with their networks to help expand your reach. Be sure to include links to your city’s voter engagement resources page and additional practical information. Include the U.S. Conference of Mayors hashtags #USCMVote2020 and #USCMYouthVote to help cities collaborate on social media.

10. Participate in U.S. Conference of Mayors Webinars The Mayors’ Youth Involvement Task Force will host monthly facilitated best practice webinars, from July through November. We will also join two celebratory webinars on National Voter Registration Day and Vote Early Day, which are yet to be announced. Participating mayors must include at least one youth leader from their city in these webinars.

*Visit the U.S. Conference of Mayors Voter Engagement Resources Page here to view the webinar dates.

• USCM Webinar 1: Cities will share a general action plan on their voter engagement efforts, learn about how they can continue to build their efforts, and connect with national organizations that they can collaborate with.

• USCM Webinar 2: Cities will share planned activities for National Voter Registration Day on September 22, and Vote Early Day on October 24, and additional events. Cities will discuss their resources webpage and social media outreach strategy.

• USCM Webinar 3: Cities will report on planned National Voter Registration Day activities and discuss strategy for identifying space for polling places and recruiting poll workers.

• USCM Webinar 4: Cities will report on planned Vote Early Day activities. And discuss plans for election day.

• Election Day!: November 3

Contact: James KirbyDirector, Youth Involvement Task Force

U.S. Conference of MayorsEmail: jkirby@usmayors.org